Suarez & Zanetti agree on who should win the Ballon d’Or

As the Ballon d’Or ceremony edges closer, Luis Suarez and Javier Zanetti both believe Lionel Messi should win it for a seventh time.

Luis Suarez and Javier Zanetti both agree that Lionel Messi should be the favorite to win the 2021 Ballon d’Or.

Despite reaching the age of 34, Messi shows no signs of slowing down. He had another productive campaign for Barcelona, bagging more individual accolades and another Copa del Rey title. He also ended his long wait for international glory by leading Argentina to Copa America success in the summer.

Life at his new club Paris Saint-Germain may have got off to a slow start, but it’s done nothing to harm his hopes of a seventh Ballon d’Or.

Lionel Messi in 2021:

✅ 49 games
✅ 40 goals
✅ 14 assists
✅ 27 MOTM awards
✅ La Liga top scorer
✅ Copa America top scorer, Player of the Tournament and winner

If any other player had these stats then they would win the Ballon d'Or without debate. Give him his #7 🏆 pic.twitter.com/V0y0lSQ97J

— SPORTbible (@sportbible) October 23, 2021

What does Suarez think?

Speaking to Argentine sports outlet Ole, Messi’s former Barcelona teammate said: “I think Leo deserves to be the Ballon d’Or because he has had a spectacular year on a personal level despite only winning the Copa del Rey with Barcelona.

“What he performed on a personal level being the top scorer and top assistant in La Liga, obtaining the Copa América being also the top scorer and top assistant makes him even bigger to have it.”

Zanetti agrees with Suarez

Former Inter Milan and Argentina star Zanetti agreed, adding: “For me, Messi has to win the Ballon d’Or because he is still a different player from the rest, always decisive and unbalanced. We are talking about the essence of football.

“His numbers are impressive since he started playing football, be it in Europe and the Argentine National Team. And now, after so long, as captain and as a leader, he managed to win the Copa América and make a whole country happy. For all that, for me, he deserves to be chosen again with the Ballon d’Or.”